Burn
by avorialair
Summary: Everything Burns. An inner look at the Doctor from the Time War through to the death of his Ninth incarnation. Spoilers. Poetry. [Complete]


* * *

**Burn**

* * *

The laughter of a morning child shatters the new day.

Clouds and colours paint the sky a hazy shade of grey.

Time stands still and falters, its master wearing thin.

Every, single bitter dawn, the birds refuse to sing.

Planets move and stars awake, yet still he is alone.

Treading grounds and waters where no ancient winds have blown.

Memories, like sliver stardust, fade away and die.

Life continues all around and still he cannot cry.

Murderer, the people say – Death and Grief and Strife;

Not one of them can understand the means to take a life.

Sorrow mounts and breaks upon his barrier of scorn,

Fuelling thoughts and feelings 'til his soul is then reborn.

The worlds forgets their miseries, their pasts along the way.

Birds begin to sing again at morning break of day.

Still he wanders, lost in thought, a fear upon his head

That one day he will come to drink the blood that has been bled.

The past does not forgive him; it cannot be undone.

A road to death is all that waits: a path he has begun.

Planets burn, their people too – he does not bat an eye;

If death is all that waits for them, then everyone should die.

Who is he to change the way the universe should be?

Who is he to save the world, to answer every plea?

The Lonely God. The Doctor. The Man Without A Face.

He comes and goes from every world; leaves nothing but a trace.

Time forgets – but he does not. He's lonely and afraid;

He knows that in the future, the past must be repaid.

But then his fabric changes and he sees beyond the dark.

A simple touch is all it takes and then a quick remark.

O Heav'nly Joy! O Woeful Sin! She burns like ice and fire!

A cheeky look and playful grin soon replace his ire.

She has a gift within her – a courage that prevails.

It soon begins to tempt him and his path becomes a trail.

He tells her, once, a secret, though he knows it is a lie:

_Everything has its time, and everything must die._

He sees the hurt he's caused her, sees the pain across her face,

So he takes her hand in comfort while succumbing to her grace.

Silent questions go unasked, but to him she's made a pledge.

As time goes on he creeps towards the danger of love's edge.

His soul is intertwined with hers: he's answering a call –

He does not even try to fight as he begins to fall.

Where once there was a misery that tore him heart from soul,

There is now anxiety he'll slip and lose control.

She sees him through his anger: his fury and his hate,

But even when he shouts at her, she doesn't hesitate.

Her touch brings out the best in him, and possibly the worst.

Every word she speaks to him succeeds to quench his thirst.

Unfortunate decisions lead to traps that will ensnare

And soon he is constrained to choose what's right and choose what's fair.

Even as he watches her, his hearts begin to break;

He makes a silent vow that he will never more tempt fate.

When asked the simple question, "Are you killer or a coward?"

He straightens with a dignity, his bravery empowered.

The Earth will die six billions deaths – its future swept away –

Or turn into a darker force that's stronger by the day.

He hears a sound he shouldn't and his hearts both leap and soar:

How can something happen he has never dared implore?

Golden light surrounds him and soon they are alone.

His Rose, encased in aura and a power that's unknown...

It seems that while he's living, she is taking her last breaths.

He can see that she is dying and her body needs to rest.

Perhaps he is allowed to break the rules once in a while;

Standing close enough to her, he manages a smile.

_I think you need a Doctor_, are the words that pass his lips –

And then the rest is memory as he brings her for a kiss.

Fire meets fire within him as his passion burns her out.

She tastes of time and essence and a shadow of self doubt.

Time returns, his senses too – he knows he hasn't long:

He only hopes his Rose will wake in time before he's gone.

They fumble over last goodbyes: he's never liked them much,

He regrets she won't remember their fleeting, final touch.

Time is of the essence as his seconds tick away;

He tells her she's fan_tas_tic and that he might stay the same.

As the Vortex burns like she once did, there's one thing that he knows:

His love will last forever – She'll always be His Rose.

**End.**


End file.
